Safer Steps Chebucto is working to help prioritize Sambro under HRM’s Rural Sidewalk Program and move the community closer to having safe, dedicated space for people walking and rolling. Our proposed route focuses on creating a practical pedestrian connection through Sambro, making everyday trips to places like Mishoo’s, St. James Church, the many fish plants, Coast Guard Station and Government Wharf, Sambro Elementary School, the ball field, and the future Community Centre, and so many other destinations, safer and more enjoyable for people in our community.

We have been collaborating with elected officials and HRM’s Rural Sidewalk Program Manager, gathering feedback from residents, and continuing to advocate for Sambro to be considered as a priority community.

We’re giving this effort everything we have because Sambro is already a highly walkable destination — people are walking these roads today, often without sidewalks, shoulders, or other dedicated infrastructure. A sidewalk would provide a safer, more comfortable connection for residents of all ages while also serving people from surrounding communities who regularly come to Sambro for school, recreation, work, services, community events, and local businesses.

What could it cost?

Under the Rural Sidewalk Program, the project would be supported through an area rate. Based on current estimates, the tentative cost would be approximately $43 per year for every $200,000 of assessed property value.

The area rate would also extend to surrounding communities, recognizing that a sidewalk in Sambro would be a shared community resource used by people from across the area — not only those living directly alongside the proposed route.

These figures are preliminary and may change as the project, route, and costing are further developed.

Working on traffic calming at the same time

In parallel, Safer Steps Chebucto is working with HRM to advocate to the Province of Nova Scotia for a Main Street Designation for Sambro.

Because the roads through Sambro fall under provincial jurisdiction, this designation would help enable additional traffic-calming measures under provincial policy. That work is currently underway and directly complements our pursuit of pedestrian infrastructure through the Rural Sidewalk Program.

Together, these efforts are about creating a safer, more walkable Sambro — making it easier for people to walk to school, work, local businesses, recreation, community spaces, and one another.

Add your voice👇🏽

Community support matters. We’re collecting feedback from residents and people who regularly walk, visit, or travel through Sambro to help demonstrate the need for safer pedestrian infrastructure. We have already received more than 180 responses to our community-wide survey and would love to hear your support specifically regarding sidewalks. That means, even if you have completed our survey, we want to know your thoughts SPECIFICALLY about sidewalks in Sambro.  

Take our short survey and show your support for a safer, more walkable Sambro.